The Sun Will Rise Again
by JPM1978
Summary: Dale Menton and Edward Reese have left Miguel Castillo's life in turmoil. Can yet another figure from his father's past help him find joy again? Third in a series following "Caught in the Storm" and "After the Storm."
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: The characters Roni Tubbs, Miguel Castillo, and Alison Castillo belong to xXBalorBabeXx. This story is third in a series after _Caught in the Storm_ and _After the Storm. _It will help to read those first. Enjoy!**

"I had a great time tonight, Miguel." Roni said in her soft, musical voice as I walked her up to the Tubbs' front door.

My hands were still in hers as we stood face to face on the porch, illuminated by the dull orange glow of the porch light. Even here she looked positively radiant. Normally Roni had a colorful but casual style, sticking to jeans and t-shirt and occasionally experimented with brightly colored nail polish. But tonight she had worn a shimmering pale pink dress which flowed to her knees and accented by a silver wrap around her shoulders. Her makeup was subtle but highlighted her sparkling hazel eyes.

And the night had truly been magical. Well, as magical as things get at a high school dance. We laughed at some silly inside jokes, danced without a care, and when it came time to slow dance, I felt like she melted in my arms. I even caught Ali giving us a wink of approval. I felt alive, really alive, for the first time in months.

"I had a great time too, Roni. It was a lot of fun! Sorry I'm not such a great dancer…" I shyly glanced down on my shoes. Ali was always telling me what a spaz I was on the dance floor. But it's not my fault she's had so much practice in those South Beach clubs she's not supposed to go to. Besides, I'm a violinist, not a dancer.

She grinned broadly. "No! You were amazing! You've got some good moves! Maybe you can even teach Ali a few things."

I burst into a laugh. "Ali? Are you kidding?" I could almost see my sister rolling her eyes at the notion. "But thanks. Hey, we still on to see the new Harry Potter movie next week?"

Her eyes brightened once more "Yeah! I wouldn't miss it!"

"Awesome!" An awkward silence fell between us. "Well, I should go. I don't want your dad coming out with his shotgun." I grinned and squeezed her hand. I recalled that day in the warehouse when we weren't sure if we were going to live or die and we shared our first, very unexpected, kiss. The moment had been such an adrenaline-filled blur, but i still remembered the softness of her lips on mine. Standing there in the moonlight with her twinkling hazel eyes staring back at me and her small, delicate hands in mine, I felt drawn to her. Time seemed to stand still as I gradually leaned closer. I closed my eyes.

And then- I froze. Fading memories of another dance, nearly a year ago, flashed across my mind. I saw Sophia twirling around the gym in a purple dress, her infectious laugh echoing in my memory. I recalled holding her hand in mine, just as I was holding Roni's, and kissing her. The purple twirling image dissolved into nothing and the laughter faded into silence. I pulled back from Roni.

Her eyes snapped open and although she clearly tried to hide it, the disappointment was apparent on her face.

I gently squeezed her hand once more before letting it go. "Goodnight, call you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, yeah sure!" She stammered and forced a smile. She waved goodbye once more before letting herself in the front door.

When I finally arrived home, I quickly changed into a pair of gym shorts and a well-worn faded t-shirt that read "Lord of the Strings" around a picture of a violin. I threw my suit over the back of my desk chair (silently reminding myself to hang it up in the morning before my mother noticed) and collapsed on my bed.

What the hell was wrong with me? I just had a date with a gorgeous girl, one that I cared about deeply. Roni filled me with hope in a way I hadn't felt in a long time. My eyes drifted across the room, to the picture on my dresser of Sophia and I at the homecoming dance last year, both of us grinning at the promise of a love we thought would never end.

In my head I knew Sophia would have wanted me to go on with my life and enjoy the night with Roni. Heck, she'd probably love to see us date then get married and have the perfect life with a picket fence and 2.5 kids. She was always selfless like that. I would never forget the way she used to place her hand on my cheek, look deep in my eyes and ask if I was happy. And with her, I always was.

But that night with Roni had been beautiful too. I had smiled and laughed at the dance until my face hurt. When we talked, I felt like I could tell her anything. It helped that she already knew the real me, and liked me despite it all. For the first time in months I felt like myself again. it was like magic. When we slow danced, gliding across the dance floor, her tiny body wrapped in my arms, I wanted to pull her close and kiss her once more, to ask her to be my girlfriend, to tell her how I really felt about her. But something held me back, just as it had on her porch, and I knew it was the guilt. I could never replace Sophia, never. And the thought that I might be doing that with Roni didn't seem fair to either of us.

I must have dozed off at some point because the next thing I knew, light was pouring in through my open curtains. I was still tired, but I sure didn't need my dad to come upstairs and lecture me about oversleeping.

I dragged myself downstairs to see my parents already up in the kitchen with Ali. My dad sat at the table as usual, sipping a cup of green tea from a delicate cup. No doubt he had already been up for hours, starting with his morning workout and followed by paperwork from the office. My mother wore casual shorts and a t-shirt. Maybe she had joined my father on his workout. Ali, like me, looked tired and I noticed her glance at me with a dirty look. I silently prayed that Roni had not told her about our awkward goodbye last night.

"Good morning Miguelito!" My mother greeted me cheerfully. "You and Roni have fun last night? I cant wait for Trudy to send me pictures."

"Oh, um, yeah. It was great!" I replied uncomfortably as I pulled a box of Lucky Charms from the cabinet and sat down

My father eyed me critically. I hoped he wouldn't make any comments about my breakfast choices. I was sure he would not find it "magically delicious." .

Dad set down his newspaper and smiled across the table at me and Ali "I'm glad you're both home this morning, your mother and I have some news. Starting tonight, we are going to have a houseguest."

I groaned audibly which earned me a hard stare from Dad. Houseguests usually meant Mom's cousin Donna. Donna always came equipped with her husband Tom (who enjoyed slapping me on the back and calling me "sport") and her two obnoxious kids who somehow managed to make everything they touched sticky and gross. Or it meant a visit from Aunt Rose who was really very sweet but had a habit of leaving her false teeth all over the place.

"Is it Aunt Rose again?" Ali asked timidly. I'm sure she was envisioning those nightmarish false teeth.

"No. Her name is May Ying. She's moving here from San Francisco for her job and needs a place to stay until her apartment is ready." Mom gave Dad an odd glance, as if she was wondering how much to say about this person.

He nodded at her knowingly. "I knew May Ying when I was working in Southeast Asia," Dad supplied. I leaned in, not wanting to miss a word. Dad never spoke about the time he spent in Thailand, not ever. I only knew about his team being ambushed and killed because of my history with Sophia and Dale Menton. He closed his eyes and I could tell he was about to reveal something interesting. "She was my wife."

Ali dropped her spoon on her plate with a clang and my mouth hung open in a manner what would have prompted Aunt Rose to ask if I was trying to catch flies.

Mom sat down beside Dad and put an arm around him.

"Wait, hold up… Dad was _married_? To _another _woman? And she's going to be staying in our _house_? Why the hell are we just now hearing about this?" Ali's tone was explosive and accusatory and I braced myself. Truthfully, my head was swimming with the same questions, and I was relieved Ali didn't hold back. My father always seemed to tolerate her outbursts with a sympathetic ear. Mine normally were met with hard stares. "Are you divorced or is this some weird sister wife situation?" Ali demanded.

My mom stifled a laugh while my father calmly reached across the table and took my sister's hand. "I know this might be surprising, Alison, but this was many, many years ago." His eyes shifted between Ali and I. "Yes, we are divorced but not for the reasons you might suspect. May Ying and I were very young, and tragedy forced us apart. When I was recovering in the hospital in Bangkok after my team was ambushed, I was told she had been killed. She in turn, was told I was dead. We didn't find out the truth until five years later, By that time, she was remarried with a child and I had moved back to Miami. I truly regret not being more open with both of you. But I'm sure you'll help us make her feel at home here."

I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms in anger. It was all coming together. "Let me guess who is behind all those lies about your death… Dale Menton."

Dad didn't answer but the look in his eyes said it all. When Sophia died, Dad had hinted that he knew what it was like to lose true love. Now I understood what he meant.

"Why didn't you tell us about this before?" Ali demanded, her anger clearly bubbling at the surface.

"Sweetheart, these things are complicated, you know that," Mom gently replied, but I could tell by Ali's expression that she was not satisfied with that answer.

"Your mother ad I both have enemies in our pasts, both personally and professionally. We wanted you both to have normal childhoods, we never wanted you two to get tangled up in any of it," Dad added.

_So much for that,_ I thought to myself. I didn't dare say it out loud, and I felt guilty fr even thinking it when I looked up to see my father's eyes filled with regret.

"Miguelito, you've been awfully quiet," Mom used my childhood nickname and spoke softly, like she had so often to me in any uncomfortable situation since Sophia's death. It was as if she was afraid I might break. "You ok with all this?"

I snapped out of my internal thoughts which had almost turned into a trance. All this time I had been stirring my cereal mindlessly and it had almost dissolved into a soggy mess. "Yeah, sure, totally fine. I'm looking forward to meeting her. Anyways, I'd better finish up my physics homework and practice for orchestra." I hurriedly threw my bowl in the sink and rushed upstairs to schoolwork and music, the only constants in my life that could distract me from the pain.


	2. Chapter 2

I had barely had a chance to crack open a textbook after breakfast when my door flew open revealing an angry Ali on the other side. "Just what the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded.

I kept my eyes on my work. "Go away, Ali."

She ignored me, as usual. "First you have the best date with a sweet, gorgeous girl who thinks the world of you. You dance the night away, and I _saw_ the way you were looking at her, Casanova. Then you didn't even bother to kiss her goodnight? And that stuff with Mom and Dad and his _ex_? 'Oh we just can't wait to meet her!'" She mocked in a high-pitched voice.

"It's complicated, Ali."

She threw her hands up in exasperation. "Well that must be the Castillo family motto!"

"Go _away_, Ali. Do you need a translation? ¡Lárgate, Alison!"

"Fine, I'll leave you to wallow in homework and Mozart. But first, I want to know why you're leading Roni on. She really felt a spark last night and was surprised when you didn't kiss her. You're my brother, but Roni's my best friend!"

I sighed. "Not that it's any of your business, but I want to take things slow. Sophia and I were… well, lets just say we got intense very fast physically. Roni's young, I don't want to rush or pressure her into anything she isn't ready for. We have another date next week to see a movie, maybe then the time will be right."

"Bullshit Miguel! I _know_ you kissed her that day at the warehouse when we saved your ass. And don't look so surprised, you know Roni and I don't have secrets. So it was ok on the spur of the moment but not after a wonderful date?"

Damnit. I threw down my pencil and buried my head in my hands. "Truth is, I don't know what my problem is. I like her Ali, I mean _really_ like her. But I guess_ I'm_ not ready. Maybe I never will be. I worry I'm replacing Sophia, that I'm being disloyal. I know what Sophia would want me to do, but I have a mental block I can't get past."

Ali's expression softened and she pulled me into a warm hug. "I'm sorry, big brother. I guess love takes time after what you've been through."

"Is- is Roni really mad at me?" I asked sheepishly.

Ali smiled. "Nah. She felt a little insecure, but I talked her through it. She's really looking forward to next Friday. "

"Thanks, Ali."

"No problem. But you owe me big time, pal. I have a feeling I'm gonna have to hear Roni swoon over you forever." Ali's face looked as though she had just tasted something bad. "Apparently she thinks you have a cute butt."

I felt my face turn bright red.

Ali flopped back on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Her voice became a hushed whisper. "Anyway, what do you think about this May Ying chick? Aren't you pissed that they never told us the truth?"

"No. I mean, maybe. A little." I finally set my book down and rubbed my face. "What difference does it make anyway? Being mad doesn't change anything. Besides, maybe it's a sign that Dad is finally willing to tell us a little about himself. Remember that family tree I had to make in fifth grade where half of it was blank because Dad never, ever talks about his family and I was too afraid to ask?"

She nodded.

"I still don't press the issue of Dad's past and childhood. I don't know why but I get the feeling that it's bad. Real bad. And this whole May Ying and Dale Menton thing kinda proves it. Who would want to re-live all that pain?"

"I guess you're right. I'll give her a chance, Mig. But I just hope she isn't some sort of home wrecker."

I smiled a bit. "Oh come on. Can you see anyone sweeping _Dad_ off his feet? And Mom letting it happen?"

Ali giggled. "Yeah, you're right as always big brother. I guess I can give her a chance."

That evening, after spending a few hours rehearsing an orchestra piece with my friends Eric and Christina (and getting the third degree from them regarding my date with Roni), I arrived home to the warm smell of Thai cooking and the bright, cheerful sounds of conversation coming from the kitchen. I set my violin case and backpack down in the entry way and turned to enter the kitchen. There I found my father and mother chopping vegetables at the kitchen island while Ali and a petite Asian woman pored over a photo album at the dining room table. I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but they were chatting and laughing and had clearly bonded.

Mom looked up and smiled cheerfully. "Oh Miguel! I'm glad you're back!"

Dad put an arm around me and led me to the table. "Yes, I'd like you to meet May Ying. May Ying, this is my son…"

May Ying stood and gave me a kind smile. She was short, only about as tall as Ali, if that. He long, smooth black hair was highlighted by only a few strands of grey and was neatly clasped into a ponytail. She looked up at me with a shocked look of recognition, as if she had seen me before. "Miguel! Of course!" She greeted me with open arms, hugging me tight. Then she stepped away, studying me while grasping my forearms. "I feel like I know you already! Your father has told me all about you over the years. Do you have any idea how much you look like your Dad when he was young?" Her voice was sweet and calm, with only the slightest hint of a Thai accent. And although she appeared small and delicate, when she hugged me I sensed a strength to her.

Of course I didn't have any idea how much I looked like my dad when he was young, because I had no idea _what_ my dad was like when he was young. For all I knew, he had materialized out of nowhere, already middle-aged wearing a plain black suit. But I just smiled and nodded. Everyone said I had a personality like my father, so maybe that was close enough. "It's nice to meet you," I replied cordially. I also wondered just how much my father had told her about me over the years. Did she know about Sophia?

"Miguel! Come check out these pictures of San Francisco!" Ali held up a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge shrouded in fog. Her excitement indicated that she was over her feelings of betrayal. "I've always wanted to go there!"

May Ying leaned over and pulled out another photograph. "You should go sometime! It's a beautiful city. Weather is perfect, it's one of the things I'll miss! But while the coastline is gorgeous, the water at the beach is freezing!'

"Freezing water at the beach? I don't know if Ali could handle that!" Mom laughed. "She gets grouchy when the temperatures here dip below 75!"

May Ying smiled warmly. Dinner was surprisingly normal and even enjoyable and I was relieved that there was not the tension in the air that I had expected. I mean, it was still a little hard to wrap my mind around having my Dad's ex-wife staying in our house. Especially since 24 hours earlier I didn't even know he _had_ an ex-wife. Fortunately that subject was avoided altogether in favor of more neutral subjects like Ali and my interests as well as news and how much Miami had changed in the last twenty years.

I was happy to listen quietly until I felt my phone signal a text message. I pulled my phone carefully from my pocket to subtly catch a glance at who it was. Dad does not like us using our phones at meals.

"Who is it?" All craned her neck to catch a glimpse of my phone.

Normally I would have told Ali to quit it and stop being so nosey, but we did have company. "It's Roni. I'll call her later."

Ali grinned and turned to May Ying. "Roni Tubbs is my best friend, she can't wait to meet you!" she supplied. "Oh, and she's Miguel's girlfriend."

Across the table I saw a surprised smile spread across my mom's face and my dad nearly spit out his wine.

"Alison…." I warned through gritted teeth. I felt my cheeks grow hot with embarrassment.

After dinner, I sat in the back garden to practice my music a bit. With the sun finally set, the heather had cooled just enough to make being outside tolerable. I was engrossed in playing a the Mendelssohn violin concerto and scarcely noticed anyone behind me.

I heard a steady applause behind me. "That was beautiful!" I turned to see May Ying standing on the deck smiling sweetly. She wore a light scarf around her shoulders that waved in the slight breeze. Her applause seemed genuine but I couldn't help be a bit embarrassed. She gracefully took a seat across from me at the patio table. "I hope you don't mind me listening in. I am a huge fan of classical music."

I brightened a bit. "Oh? Do you play?"

She laughed heartily. "Much to my father's disappointment, no. I'm afraid ten years of piano and violin lessons had no effect. I just never had the patience to practice. But I still appreciate good music. But your dad was right! You're very talented, Miguel." She paused, leaving a momentary awkward silence between us. "I hope it's not too strange for you and your sister having me here this week."

I almost sighed with relief that she had not yet brought up the "girlfriend" incident from dinner. "Oh no! It's great- I mean, yeah, not weird at all!" I replied in a hurry. _Super convincing, Miguel, _I thought to myself.

May Ying grinned knowingly. "Your dad never told you about me before, did he?" Something told me not much got past her. Or maybe she knew my father pretty well. Probably both.

"Yeah, well, Dad isn't exactly a flowing fountain of information about his past."

She nodded again and focused her eyes our towards the water of the canal, with the moon perfectly reflected on it. "Some things don't change. But life was rarely kind to your father. I know there were some things he wanted to leave behind."

"I sure know what that's like," I mumbled without thinking. I heard my breath and prayed that May Ying would not ask me to elaborate.

"But things can change. You, Ali and your mom mean everything to him. It brings me such joy to see it all and to see him so happy." She smiled back at me and somehow I knew she meant every word of what she said. It left me a bit confused. Didn't she resent losing her first marriage? Didn't she feel betrayed, or that everything that my mom and Ali and I had should have been hers? How in the world did she, or my dad for that matter, move past having their lives torn apart by Dale Menton? "Anyway, I'd better try to get to sleep if I'm ever going to adjust to East Coast time! Good night, Miguel, perhaps I can hear you play again tomorrow?

"Sure, that'd be great!"

I sat back in my chair and looked up at the sky. How was it possible that meeting May Ying left me with even more questions about my father? And perhaps more questions about myself?


End file.
